Fuse cut-out



G. F. LINCKS Q I 2,081,826

I FUSE CUT-OUT May 25, 1937.

Filed May 15, 1935 S mwuw P mu um n 0 Cl i r .5 im G b Patented May 25,1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FUSE CUT-OUT New York Application May15, 1935, Serial No. 21,518

13 Claims.

My invention relates to an electric cutout of the type having a fusewhich is moved from between the terminals upon operation of the fuse.

The object of my invention is to provide an 5 improved construction in acutout of this type, and for a consideration of what I believe to benovel and my invention, attention is directed to the accompanyingdescription and the claims appended thereto.

10 In the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 is a side sectional view of myimproved fuse cutout with the fuse link intact and the cutout in theclosed position; Fig. 2 is a side sectional view after the operation ofthe fuse and its initial movement 15 from engagement with the contacts;Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side view with the cutout in the open positionafter operation of the fuse, Fig. 4

is a side View of an open type cutout embodying my invention, and Fig. 5illustrates a modification applicable either to the closed cutout ofFigs. 1 to 3 inclusive or to the open type cutout of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawing, indicates a housing of porcelain or similarinsulating material in which are carried two stationary contacts II andI2 which are adapted to be connected to line conductors. A cover 13 isprovided for housing I0 which carries a fuse M of the expulsion type inupstanding portions l and I6 of insu- 30 lating material integral withthe cover I3. A

metal hinge lever I! supports cover l3 and has spaced arms H! whichextend on either side of the upstanding portion l6 and are pivotallyconnected thereto by means of pins l9 which fit into 35 elongated slots20. Lever i1 is provided with a hook 2| which passes over a hinge pin 22secured in housing 10.

Fuse I4 consists of a fuse tube 23 of insulating material with acontactcap 24 secured to its 40 upper end. As better indicated in Fig.1, when the cover I3 is closed, contact cap 24 engages contact finger 25which is connected to contact H. Contact finger 25 is backed by a springmember 26 which provides the desired contact 45 pressure and is providedwith a bent portion 2'! which serves as a latch to prevent outwardmovement of the upper end of the fuse from between the contacts. A fuselink located in fuse tube 23 is connected to the contact cap 24 at 5 oneend and has a conductor 28 which extends from the bottom of the fusetube and is connected to lever H at 29. 1

As best indicated in Fig. l, lever I? is held in close engagement withfuse tube 23 of fuse i4 55 by the fuse link against the tension of thespring actuated contact arm 3! Lever I1 is held in this position infixed relation to the fuse so long as the fuse link remains intact.Lever H and the lower end of the fuse link are electrically connected tothe lower contact l2 by means of contact arm 30 which is pivotallyconnected to lever I! at 3|. As indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, a spiralspring 32 is interposed between lever I1 and contact arm 30 to providethe desired contact pressure and also to urge cover l3 and its connectedparts to the open position. To insure good electrical connection betweenthe contact arm 30 and lever I! and to prevent current flow through thespiral spring 32, a copper strip 33 is connected at its opposite ends tothe contact arm 30 and the lever H Extending from either side of theupstanding portion l5 on the cover of the design shown in Figs. 1, '2,and 3, are pins 34 which extend within slots 35 conveniently formed onthe inner side of the side walls of the housing It], when the fuse ismoved to the position shown in Fig. 1. As can be seen in Fig. 2, thepins 34 provide a trunnion which permits the fuse M to pivot on thecontact as the spring actuated contact arm swings the lower end of thefuse l4 and its connected parts outward. Simultaneously pins l9 slide inthe elongated slots 20 in the spaced arms l8 of the lever ll permittingfree outward swinging of the fuse M and its connected parts about thepivotal point on the contact 25. When the pins 34 swing outward past theedge 40 of the slots 35, that is, a slight distance past the positionillustrated in Fig. 2, the fuse l4, cover i3, and other connected partsare free to drop out from between the contacts and to rotate about thehinge pin 22 to swing to the open position as shown in Fig. 3. Theflaring portion 36 of slots freely permits the drop out movement of thefuse. 40

Fig. 4 illustrates an open fuse cutout embodying the features of myinvention. In this device the contact finger 25 with its connected partsis supported by insulator M. The support with the slots 35 in the outerend is also fas- 45 tenecl to the insulator M. The contact I2 and thehinge pin 22 are supported by the insulator 22 which is held in spacedrelationship with the insulator ll by the hanger 33. The fuse M issupported by lever it through the spaced arms it of lever l1 and thepins it which are fastened to the fuse tube 23 by the clamped strap M.The operation is identical to that previously described for the enclosedfuse cutout.

For manual opening of the enclosed cutout shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3before operation of the fuse link, cover I3 is provided with a handle38. The handle 38 is clamped around the fuse H in the open fuse cutoutFig. 4. During manual operation, the fuse l4 and its connected partspivot about pin 22.

When the fuse is in position shown in Fig. l, the spring 25 forces thecontact finger 25 downward against the contact cap 24, and the bentportion 21 of contact finger 25 holds the fuse in the position shown.The downward force exerted by spring 26 may be transmitted directly tothe housing ID of the cutout shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, or to thesupport 45 of the cutout shown in Fig. 4 through pins 34, or if the pins34 do not rest against the lower sides of slots 35, the force of spring26 may be transmitted through pins l9 and lever IT to the hinge pin 22.

By reference to Fig. 2, it may be seen that upon operation of the fuselink, conductor 28 is blown from the open end of tube 23 and thusreleases the tension which secures lever IT in engagement with fuse tube23 and permits the swinging of the fuse 14 under the bias of spring 32.The initial swinging of the fuse I4 is limited to a pivotal movementabout the point of contact of the contact cap 24 with the contact finger25 by the pins 34 and slots 35, which arrangement forms the latch tohold the fuse between the contacts until the fuse link melts. At the endof this pivotal movement, as shown in Fig. 2, the pins 34 are adjacentthe edge of slots 35, and the pin I9 is at the upper end of theelongated slots 20. At this time the circuit has been broken within thefuse tube 23 and since the contact cap 24 and the contact finger 25 andthe contact finger 3|] and contact 12 are engaged during this pivotalmovement, there is no arcing between these contacts. The fuse l4 and itsconnected parts are then free to drop out rotating about the hinge pin22 under the action of gravity to the full open position, as indicatedin Fig. 3. The time required for the pins 34 to swing outward from theposition Fig. 1 to that adjacent the edge 40 of the slots 35, Fig. 2,affords the necessary delay to permit the interruption within the fusetube 23 of the are formed when the fuse link melts, before the fusedrops out from between the contacts. A stop 37 is secured adjacent hingepin 22 to engage lever I! in the open position to prevent hook 2| oflever i1 jumping from pin 22 and permitting fuse l4 dropping to theground. Fuse l4 and its connected parts may then be removed bydisengagement of the hook 2| from the hinge pin 22.

The cutouts of Figs. 1 to 23 inclusive and of Fig. 4.- may be modifiedin accordance with the teachings of the copending application, SerialNo. 729,427, of B. R. Hermann, filed June 7, 1934 and assigned to thesame assignee as the present invention, so that upon operation of thefuse, the fuse will not drop out from between the contacts but willswing only to an intermediate position to give an indication that thefuse has blown.

' This may be accomplished by providing a yoke 46 such as illustrated inFig. 5 as applied to the cutout of Fig. l. The yoke 46 surrounds thefuse tube 23. and theends of the yoke are snapped in place in holes 41in each of the arms l8. The

yoke may be easily installed and removed. Upon operation of the fuse,the yoke Mi stops outward swinging of the lower end of the fuse id at apoint just before the pins 34 reach the edge M of slots 35, therebypreventing further movement of the fuse. The position of the fuse atthis point, which substantially corresponds to the position of the fuseas illustrated in Fig. 2, serves as an indication that the fuse hasblown.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

1. An electric cutout comprising spaced contacts, a fuse, means toconnect the fuse between the contacts, a latch released by pivotalmovement of the fuse about one end of the fuse for holding the fusebetween the contacts, means released by operation of the fuse forpivoting the fuse about said end to release the latch and subsequentlypermitting the fuse to be moved from between the contacts, and means forlimiting the initial movement of the fuse to pivoting about said end.

2. An electric cutout comprising a housing, spaced contacts carried bythe housing, acover for the housing, a fuse carried by the cover, meansto connect the fuse between the contacts, a latch released by pivotalmovement of the fuse about one end of the fuse for holding the fusebetween the contacts, means released by operation of the fuse forpivoting the fuse about said end to release the latch and subsequentlypermitting the fuse to be moved from between the contacts, and guidingmeans on said housing for limiting the initial movement of the fuse topivoting about said end.

3. An electric cutout comprising spaced contacts, a fuse, means toconnect the fuse between the contacts, a latch at the upper end of thefuse for holding the fuse from swinging out of the contacts, said latchbeing released by pivotal movement of the fuse about its upper end, atrunnion on the fuse, guides engaging the trunnion for guiding theinitial movement of the fuse, and

means at the other end of the fuse released by operation of the fuse forpivoting the fuse about its upper end to release the latch and subse- Iquently permitting the fuse to be moved from between the contacts.

4. An electric cutout comprising spaced contacts, a fuse, means toconnect the fuse between the contacts, a latch at the upper end of thefuse for holding the fuse from swinging out of the contacts, said latchbeing released by pivotal movement of the fuse about its upper end, atrunnion on the upper part of the fuse, a support having open endedslots in which the trunnion fits for guiding the initial movement of thefuse, and means released by operation of the fuse for pivoting the fuseabout its upper end to release the latch and subsequently permitting thefuse to be moved from between the contacts.

5. An electric cutout comprising spaced contacts, a fuse, a hingedsupport at one end of the fuse for moving the fuse to a position betweenthe contacts, a latch released by pivotal movement of the fuse about theother end of the fuse for holding the fuse between the contacts, meansreleased by operation of the fuse for pivoting the fuse about said otherend to release the latch, means including said hinged support forsubsequently moving the fuse from between the contacts, and means forlimiting the initial movement of the fuse to pivoting about other end.

6. An electric cutout comprising spaced contacts, a fuse, a hingedsupport at one end of the fuse for moving the fuse to a position betweenthe contacts, a latch released by pivotal movement of the fuse about theother end of the fuse for holding the fuse between the contacts, meansreleased by operation of the fuse for pivoting the fuse about said otherend to release the latch,

contacts, said hinged support having a lost motion connection to saidfuse for permitting the initial pivoting movement of the fuse.

7. An electric cutout comprising spaced contacts, a fuse adapted to beconnected between said contacts and including a contact cap at one endengaging one of said contacts, a hinge lever at the other end of saidfuse, means released by pivotal movement of said fuse about said contactcap for holding said fuse between said contacts, and means includingsaid hinge lever. for pivoting said fuse about said contact capuponoperation of said fuse while maintaining the contact cap in firmengagement with its co-operating contact and for subsequently permittingsaid fuse to be moved from between said contacts.

8. An electric cutout comprising spaced contacts, a fuse adapted to beconnected between said contacts and including a contact cap at one endengaging one of said contacts, a hinge lever at the other end of saidfuse having a lost motion connection with said fuse, means for holdingsaid lever in fixed relation to the fuse, said holding means beingreleased by operation'of the fuse, means effective upon releasing ofsaid holding means for pivoting said fuse about said contact whilemaintaining contact between the contact cap and the co-operating contactand for subsequently permitting said fuse to be moved from between said,contacts.

9. An electric cutout including in combination, spaced contacts, a fuse,means for connecting the fuse between the contacts, latching means forholding the fuse in its connected position, means released by operationof the fuse for effecting movement of one end of the fuse, and meansinitially cooperative with said released means upon operation of thefuse for constraining said one end of the fuse to pivot substantiallyabout the other end of the fuse.

10. An electric cutout including in. combination spaced contacts, afuse, means for connecting the fuse between the contacts including anelement of one of the contacts adapted to engage one end of the fuse,means for maintaining the fuse normally connected between the contactswith said one end thereof in engagement with said element, meansoperative upon operation of the fuse for effecting an initial pivotingof the fuse about said one end, and means for maintaining said one endin firm engagement with said element during such initial pivoting of thefuse.

11. An electric cutout including in combination, spaced contacts, afuse, means for supporting the fuse removably connected between thecontacts, means releasable by operation of the fuse for exerting a forceto move the fuse from its connected position, means for latching one endof the fuse in its connected position, and means providing guide waysoperatively connected to the fuse for effecting a substantially purepivoting of the other end of the fuse substantially about said one endthereof upon fuse operation.

12. An electric cutout including in combination, spaced contacts, afuse, means for connecting the fuse between the contacts, means forremovably supporting the fuse in its connected position, meansreleasable by operation of the fuse for exerting force to move the fusefrom its connected position, means for latching one end of the fuse inits connected position, and means including guide slots carried by saidsupporting means and operative upon release of said releasable means forconstraining the other end of the fuse to move pivotally substantiallyabout said one end.

13. An electric cutout including in combination, spaced contacts, afuse, means for connecting the fuse between the contacts, means forremovably supporting the fuse in its connected position, meansoperatively engaging one end of the fuse to latch said one end againstmovement transversely of the longitudinal axis of the fuse, meansreleasable by operation of the fuse for exerting a force on the fusetending to move the same toward a disconnecting position, and meansoperative upon. release of said releasable means for effecting aninitial pivoting movement of the other end of the fuse substantiallyabout said one end thereof and operative also to prevent bodilylongitudinal movement of the fuse during said initial pivoting movementof said other end thereof.

' GEORGE F. LINCKS.

